Wednesday, December 31, 2014

WANTED: A COMICS INTERNSHIP

My last blog of 2014 concerns another reader who made a request of me that I was unable to fulfill. I’m hoping someone reading today’s bloggy thing will be able to advise or help him.

Urban Lee wrote:

How are you, Mr. Isabella?

My name is Urban Lee, we met at a comic-con in Akron. I am a senior at the University of Mount Union. I am Majoring in Media Computing and my Minor is Art. I am very interested in learning about the comic book world and was wondering if I could shadow you as sort of an internship this spring semester. It would be an honor to learn from a great creator such as yourself. Thank you!

Happy Holidays!

My response:

I'm flattered by your request, but my operation is so small and disorganized that I can't accommodate you in this matter.

I'm a freelance writer with no set schedule, doing whatever jobs come my way. Very few of those jobs involve comic books per se. My work is a mix of online columns, occasional ghost-writing for comic strips, making foreign comics more readable for American audiences, convention appearances, garage sales, online sales  and the like.

If you'd like, I can put your request on my blog and my Facebook page to see if there's anyone in the area who might be able to help you here. Let me know.

Urban emailed back with this:

That would be great if you could add my request to your blog page. Thank you so much for just responding.

So...

If any of my bloggy readers can advise Urban on comics internships in the Akron area or offer him such an internship, please e-mail him at your earliest convenience. He’d appreciate it and so would I. I’m trying to get a jump on racking up the “nice” points before Santa makes his 2015 visit to Casa Isabella.

That’s all for 2014, my friends. Have a joyous and above all safe New Year’s Eve. I’ll be back in 2015 with more stuff.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

WANTED: COMICS BUYER’S GUIDE AND WIZARD

This bloggy thing of mine will return in all its glory and then some on Thursday, January 1, 2015. In the meantime, I’m using today’s and tomorrow's bloggies to help out a couple comics fans who made requests of me that I was unable to fulfill.

Here’s a note I received from Chris Chubb:

Hi. My name is Chris Clubb and I was wondering if there are people just like me who are more interested in the history of comic books from older publications like Comic Buyer's Guide and Wizard. Most of these wonderful magazine books go way back, before I was born. I’m looking to educate myself via these magazines. If there are serious fans that are now getting rid of their collections of these magazines, I’d like to hear from them.

If there is anyone that dose not want their back issues of CBG and Wizard, I’m very interested in buying them, particularly the much older issues of CBG when it was a newspaper. I want to learn about the history of comic books as well as the economics of buying and selling comic books.


Back to Tony:

Chris seems to be a pretty nice guy. He’s sincere in his desire to learn more about the history of comic books and in buying old comic books wisely. He’s 46 years old, lives in Glendale, California, and can be contacted via email.

I haven’t come across any duplicate copies of CBG while searching through my world-famous Vast Accumulation of Stuff. I’m hoping some of my beloved readers will be able to accommodate Chris’ request.

I’ll be back tomorrow with another request. It’s part of my plan to make Santa’s 2015 nice list without doing any actual work myself. See you then.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Monday, December 29, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #88

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder, I close out the old year by asking more questions than I answer. I scare myself.

BACK AT WORK

We're closing in on the new year and I'm finally feeling close to 100%. I'm back at work this early morning and expect to start posting full-size bloggy things on January 1. Keep watching this space for the usual fun mix of news, views and reviews.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIENDS

This has been a challenging month and a challenging year for me. But, as I write these words so early on this Christmas morning, my friend Tom Batiuk reminds me of folks whose challenges are so much more difficult than mine.

Not every one of America's defenders are lucky enough to come home for the holidays. Some will never come home for the holidays again. Some will carry the scars of their service throughout their lives. And their families will grieve and will carry those scars as well.

We ask such sacrifice of such a small percentage of Americans and we don't come close to doing right by them. In a country beset by woes...in a country where the avaricious wealthy grow ever more so at the expense of all others...in a country where some still condemn some of our citizens because of who they love, even when those citizens have served our nation proudly...let us remember our brave defenders on this Christmas day.

In the new year, even as we deal with all those other woes, let us always keep the men and women of our armed forces in the forefront of our thoughts and prayers. Let us always do right by them.  Let us truly thank them for their service.

Merry Christmas to all. 

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

THE DARK KNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

SANTA: It's not just the "dark" that annoys me. It's the "depressing" and "insane" stuff. So why don't you just run along to your Batcave and drink a big glass of go fuck yourself while the rest of us enjoy the holidays.

BATMAN: I have plans to deal with you and all other holiday symbols if you go bad.

SANTA: This is why we can't have nice DC comic books.

BATMAN: What can I do to change my fate, o ghost of Christmas past?

SANTA: There's that "insane" part kicking in again. Look, why not just head over to Tony Isabella's place? He's still under the weather, but he'll be watching episodes of the 1966 Batman series on his Blu-ray player. You could use a good dose of Adam West.

BATMAN: Will there be cookies?

SANTA: "sigh" Yes, there will be cookies. But you won't be able to enjoy them unless you ungrit your teeth.

BATMAN: Hey, that's on the artists. Do you think I like looking like I have to take a dump 24/7?

SANTA: You made a funny! There may be hope for you yet.

BATMAN: Merry Christmas, Santa!

SANTA: Merry Christmas, Bruce.

TONY: And Godzilla bless us everyone!




Tuesday, December 23, 2014

THANKS FOR ALL THE HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREETINGS

I am still under the weather, but, throwing caution to the winds, I decided to celebrate my 63rd birthday anyway. A big part of that celebration was receiving hundreds of emails and Facebook messages from my friends. Thank you for your many kindnesses.

The birthday started with my annual free breakfast at Denny's with Barb, Eddie and Kelly. Then, with Eddie's help, I was able to run a bunch of holiday-related errands.

Our friend and neighbor Greg Luppino joined us for dinner. We got take away from Dominic's Italian Restaurant here in Medina. I had way too much good food, topped off by Barb's red velvet birthday cake. Today, I know I will be paying a price for all that fun.

Birthday gifts from the family included a touching card from Kelly, a funny one from Eddie, a peach pie and card from Greg and his daughter Giselle, a loving card from Barb, the Guardians of the Galaxy Blu-ray and the Batman TV show from the 1960s in that spiffy collectors package. Okay, I bought the last one myself, but Barb wrapped it. So it counts.

Again, thanks to all my family and friends for making my birthday so special. I hope to be on the mend soon and get back to full-scale blogging.

Happy holidays to all!

Tony Isabella

Monday, December 22, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #87

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...Today is my birthday and I ponder what I want to be when I grow up.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

STILL SICK

I am still in the grip of some mutant plague that is preventing from getting anything done. Thanks for your continued patience. I will be back to work as soon as possible.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

COTTON CANDY

If you're looking for cotton candy, I think I have a year's supply of it in my head. Or it could just be a winter cold which hit two days after I finally got over my winter flu.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #86

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...Stick these comic books in your Christmas stockings!

Monday, December 15, 2014

BUSY LITTLE BLOGGER

I seem to be largely over whatever mutant flu laid me low for the past couple weeks. However, I have a ton of family and holiday and work stuff to catch up on this week. Full-scale blogging will resume as soon as humanly or even inhumanly possible. Stay well, my friends.

Friday, December 12, 2014

ON THE MEND

I'm feeling better, but still moving very slow. I hope to get back up to speed by Monday. In related news, my land lines have been restored so I can again start receiving all those scam and solicitation phone calls I love so much. Bah!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

LAND LINES DOWN

The land line at Casa Isabella is out of service. If anyone has been trying to contact me, you'll have to do so by my cell phone number (if you have it) or my e-mail. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #85

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...Lots more holiday gift suggestions from the blogger who wants to be an elf.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

STRUGGLING

Bloggy Thing Tony is under the weather. He hopes to be back up to speed in the next couple of days. If you're expecting something from him, thanks for your patience.

Speaking about himself in the third person should clear up soon.

Monday, December 1, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #84

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...More holiday gift suggestions from my elf-like self!

Saturday, November 29, 2014

AVENGERS CONFIDENTIAL: BLACK WIDOW/PUNISHER

Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher [Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; Blu-ray: $19.99, DVD: $14,99] was released in March of this year as a direct-to-video anime. I got the movie via my local library system.

The basic plot is uncomplicated: the Punisher is tracking down and slaughtering terrorists putting high-tech weapons on the streets he protects. SHIELD is involved because the weapons are stolen SHIELD technology. The Punisher’s goals and those of SHIELD aren’t really in sync. Frank Castle battles the Black Widow, loses, and ends up in SHIELD custody. Castle and the Widow agree to work together to stop the terrorists, but it’s an uneasy alliance.

The movie was made by Madhouse, Inc., a Japanese anime company. The story is by Marjorie Liu, a New York Times best-selling writer who has also written for Marvel’s X-Men comics. The screenplay was by Mitsutaka Hirota, who has written for such animated properties as Pokemon and the X-Men.

The good and the bad of this feature:

The Punisher still doesn’t mix well with traditional Marvel super-heroes, though he and the Widow aren’t bad together. When the two first meet and fight, he’s shooting with seemingly lethal intent at the Widow. That seemed wrong to me, especially considering later scenes when Frank agonizes over having killed innocents.

The Widow is overly flirtatious through the movie and saddled with a cheesy “lost love” romance sub-plot. The resolution of that sub-plot is simplistic.

But...

The voice acting is excellent with Jennifer Carpenter as Natasha, Brian Bloom as Castle, Eric Bauza as Amadeus Cho, Matthew Mercer as Iron Man and Hawkeye and Fred Tatasciore doing his usual terrific job as the Hulk. The animation is dramatic and dynamic, creating a constant (if grim) world for the characters. The stakes for SHIELD and the world become very high very quickly, which justifies neat guest appearances by Captain Marvel and other Avengers. We also get some fun guest turns by villains such as Baron Zemo, Graviton, the Griffin and others. Overall, the film delivers a satisfying story and conclusion. I recommend it.

******************************
I’m still weeks away from full-length and regular blogging, but, as time permits, I’ll post short bloggy things like this one. I’ll be back soon (hopefully) with more stuff.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Thursday, November 27, 2014

THANKSGIVING 2014

I'm thankful for my wonderful family, many friends and many readers.

I'm thankful for this blog and the amazing forum it offers me.

I'm thankful for my life in comics, the ups and the downs.

Regular blogging will resume in a few weeks as I finish my 2014 commitments.

I see 2015 as the "Year of My Bucket List" in which I work on the many ideas and stories on my long bucket list of things I want to write before I get the bucket.

I also see 2015 as the "Year of the Road Trip" as, starting in February, I will be making two public appearances almost every month. Watch for details.

Please feel free to e-mail me...

If you want to hire me for paying gigs...

If you want me to appear at your convention or other event...

If you are an artist who wants to work with me on a project...

If you want to send me review items for this blog...

If you want me to autograph your Isabella-written items via mail...

Or, for pretty much any other reason.

Have a great Thanksgiving. I'll be back soon with more stuff.

Tony Isabella

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #83

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder, I have holiday shopping suggestions for you, including a great collection of Spider-Man newspaper strip stories and How to Survive a Sharknado!

Monday, November 17, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #82

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...A Voice in the Dark, Trees and more Original Sin from Marvel.

REGULAR BLOGGING WILL RESUME IN DECEMBER

If you've been following my Facebook page, you know that the past several weeks have been a parade of expensive and time-consuming home and plumbing repairs. This has put me terribly behind schedule on a number of fronts. With my upcoming appearance at the Grand Rapids Comic-Con (Friday through Sunday, November 21-23, 2014, at the DeltaPlex, 2500 Turner Ave. NW) and more household work to be done before Thanksgiving, I'm not going to have any spare time for blogging. I'm sure I'll be posting some short items during these two weeks, but my full-scale blogging won't return until Monday, December 1. Thanks for your patience.


Saturday, November 15, 2014

THE PUNISHER 2014

I was there for the birth of the Punisher or, at least, some parts of it. I might not have been there at the precise moment when Gerry Conway and John Romita smacked Frank Castle’s butt to encourage his first breath - I’m amazed the kid didn’t shoot them on the spot - but I saw some of the post-birth cleaning up before the character,  swaddled in black leather, was put into Papa Gerry’s arms and, from there, introduced to the Marvel Universe in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 [February, 1974].

It would have been sometime in mid-1973 or so. I was working in the Marvel Comics offices on the British weeklies and other projects.I walked into John’s office and saw him tinkering with a drawing of the Punisher.

Gerry had come up with the idea and design of the new  character he originally called the Assassin before editor-in-chief Roy Thomas suggested usurping the name of the robot used by Galactus several years earlier. Gerry’s original design had a smallish skull’s head on his breast, which John expanded until it took up the whole front of the Punisher’s shirt. Ross Andru would be the first to draw the Punisher in an actual comic book.

When I walked into John’s office, he was drawing Frank’s face. At his side was one of the early Mack Bolan novels by Don Pendleton. The paperback action series about the Vietnam-era Green Beret who came home to the murder-suicide of his father and sister and took up arms against the Mafia, who, with good reason, he blamed for the killings. The series was the inspiration for the Punisher and the lead character’s rugged good looks likewise inspired the features of the Punisher.

I was intrigued by that Mack Bolan paperback, which also inspired several similar adventure series. The proliferation of such heroes  was not unlike the growth of the pulp-magazine heroes four decades prior. I bought the first several Bolan books and, over a weekend,read them obsessively. I would read well over a hundred of them in the ensuing years before marriage, parenthood, job responsibilities and, ultimately, the repetitious nature of the books brought an end to my obsession.

I liked the Punisher, this new not-quite-hero, from the start, but he was always an awkward fit for the Marvel Universe. However much his targets might have deserved killing, he was a murderer in the eyes of the law. Every time the heroes worked with him or let him escape, it diminished those heroes. Whenever they would attempt to capture him and he escaped despite of their powers, it diminished them. The character regularly stretched the willing suspension of disbelief so necessary to super-hero comics. Add the tendencies of some writers to portray the Punisher as a lunatic or monster...and Frank Castle would become even more of an uneasy travelers through the fantastical Marvel Universe.

The dubious morality of a “hero” who kills aside, the Punisher has always worked best for me when furthest away from the rest of the Marvel Universe. When you throw in the fantastic, you get bat-shit insanity like the Punisher teaming up with the Avengers or becoming some sort of heavenly hitman or even getting dismembered and being revived as a “Frankencastle” monster. Shy of being cut into pieces, he’s lost a finger here and an eye there, but those injuries have been either forgotten or took place in some alternate continuity.It gets too confusing for me and even Wikipedia isn’t of much help in sussing it all out.

This brings us to the newest series: The Punisher by writer Nathan Edmondson and artist Mitch Gerads.  Edmondson first showed up a few years ago with comic books published by Image. Gerads, who seems to be another relative comics newcomer, worked on some of those comics with Edmondson. Their respective styles fit the Punisher well, so I have no complaints in that regard.

SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD


Having read the first 11 issues of this new series [$3.99 each], I liked where it started. Castle is tracking the Dos Soles drug gang and ends up in Los Angeles. It’s a good idea to keep the Punisher as far away from the New York City super-heroes as possible.

The Punisher action is what one would expect and it works well to a point. Complicating his activities is a government-sanctioned hit squad called - sacrilege - the Howling Commandoes. I’m not a fan of this sort of intrigue/villainy because the evil government routine has become such a cliche. I’m not a fan of it here, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker for me.

The Los Angeles cast includes the owner of a coffee shop and a police officer developing a crush on Frank without realizing who he is. These quiet moments are a nice contrast to the violence.

The Dos Soles get ambitious and bring in a super-weapon. This new series gets less enjoyable after that. With this weapon, which is not a bad idea per se, we also get A.I.M., the Taskmaster, Electro and the Black Widow. Though the Widow is probably one of the very few Marvel heroes who sort of works in the Punisher’s more mundane world, the rest sent the story off the rails for me.

This is what I mean when I say the Punisher is best when he’s not involved with the Marvel Universe. Electro should be able to turn Castle into ashes with ease. When the Punisher has an opportunity to put a rubber bullet into Electro’s eye and kill or, at the very least, maim him, he doesn’t do it. The characters aren’t themselves in this encounter.

The story picks up again when the surviving Dos Santos attack Los Angeles at a time when the Punisher isn’t in town. The city, which had seen crime drop as a result of Frank’s residence, quickly gets worse than it was before he came. Desperate police officers start bending and breaking the law to stem the tide of criminal violence. That’s interesting stuff.

The bottom line? Flawed though it is, The Punisher is a series I’ll keep reading in the hopes that the Marvel Universe will again fade into its distant background. Whether you would enjoy it or not will likely depend on how you prefer your Frank Castle. At least Frank isn’t slaughtering in the name of God or worrying about whether or not his body-part stitches will come undone.

Regular blogging will resume on December 1..

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Friday, November 14, 2014

THE SHADOW #87: THE POOLTEX TANGLE AND DEATH TURRETS

The Shadow #87: The Pooltex Tangle & Death Turrets [Sanctum Books;$14.95] features novels by Theodore Tinsley and Walter B. Gibson of The Shadow as a master escape artist. These full-length novels are  inspired by and a tribute to the legendary Harry Houdini.

The Pooltex Tangle is by Theodore Tinsley writing as Maxwell Grant.  It first appeared in The Shadow Magazine for the October 1, 1937. From the back cover:

Can The Shadow recover a stolen invention that will change the course of a future war?

Death Turrets is by Walter B. Gibson as Maxwell Grant.  It’s from the November 1, 1937 issue of The Shadow Magazine. From the back cover:

In his true identity of Kent Allard, the Dark Avenger attempts to thwart the murderous plots of a serial killer!

In addition to the novels, The Shadow #87 also features a new essay by Will Murray that focuses on Gibson’s relationship with Houdini.Gibson, the president of the Philadelphia Assembly of the Society of American Magicians in his pre-Shadow days, knew Houdini and washired to write books on magic for him. Though Houdini died before this venture began, Gibson would, working with the Houdini estate,write Houdini’s Magic and Houdini’s Escapes.

Rounding out this volume are “Memories of Houdini” by Gibson and a short piece on Bill Lawlor, who posed as The Shadow for the photo cover of The Shadow Magazine for November 1, 1937.

As with the other Sanctum Books series - Doc Savage, The Whisperer and others - these Shadow adventures are entertaining journeys into the heroic fiction of the pulp era. More Sanctum Books news is on the way.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

REPORT: CLEVELAND COMIC CON

I was a guest at three conventions in as many weekends, which puts me three weeks behind in reporting to you on Cleveland Comic Con.The event was on Sunday, October 26 at the Doubletree Cleveland in Independence, Ohio.

Cleveland Comic Con is a newer show. It’s put on by a group of fans from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and North Carolina who love just about every kind of fandom there is: comic books, gaming, anime, cosplay and more. The promoters and volunteers clearly worked hard to deliver a quality convention experience. They hope their single-day show will eventually grow into a multiple-day event. I can see some obstacles ahead of them, but I’ll save my suggestions for the end of today’s bloggy thing.

I had two reasons for contacting the show about my appearing as a guest: Paul Kupperberg and Linda Lessmann Reinhold. Paul and I go back to before I moved to New York to work for Marvel Comics, back when he was publishing The Comics Reader with his boyhood pal Paul Levitz and I was writing for TCR and virtually every other fanzine that would have me. After an amazing run writing Life with Archie, Paul is writing for The Charlton Arrow, an ongoing tribute to the legendary comics company where so many comics creators made their first appearances. I bought the first two issues of the title from Paul and plan on reading/reviewing them in an upcoming edition of this bloggy thing of mine.

Linda started work at Marvel Comics a few weeks before I did. Like most of the younger guys that worked there, I had a crush on the talented colorist who was both gorgeous and sweet as could be.We’ve run into each other at conventions in the past, but this was a first reunion in way too many years.

I’m a firm believer in the notion that conventions are whatever you make of them. I asked the convention to put my table next to Paul’s table and the table shared by Linda and husband Bill, who is a very lucky man, a nice guy and a terrific artist.

How could I not have a great time at the convention with such good people around me? Linda was a guest on my “Tony’s Tips Live” presentation while Paul and I did a panel on “Making Independent Comics” that strayed off the subject and pretty much came down to a wonderfully snarky chat between two grizzled veterans of the comics industry.

After the show, Paul, Linda, Bill and I had dinner at the Winking Lizard, a swell bar-and-restaurant near the hotel. During the day, we talked about our lives, our kids, our careers, friends we knew back in the day, politics and everything else old friends will talk about when they get together for the first time in too long a time.The day was all I could have hoped for. I hope I get to see my dear friends again sooner rather than later.

I don’t want you to think my friends were the only good things about the Cleveland Comic Con. From my table in artist alley, I chatted with fans, signed a bunch of comic books, sold several copies of my award-deserving 1000 Comic Books You Must Read and other Isabella-written items, sold some other comics I had brought to the event  and also some Superman posters. I even sold the 25-to-30-year-old Superman cocoa and peanut butter I found in my Vast Accumulation of Stuff. So, not only did I have a great time at this convention, I came home with a few bucks in my pocket.

The Cleveland Comic Con crew seems to have a sincere desire to make their event as good as they can and they also seem to be willing to work hard to achieve their goal of growing the show. With that in mind, let me share a few comments.

The Doubletree isn’t the best venue for a convention that wants to grow. While there was a lot of open space in the ballroom serving as the dealers room, the artist alley room seems more than a little cramped and confined. I never got a chance to see if the wall that divided the two rooms could be opened. If it can be opened, I think it would greatly improve traffic flow and allow fans to move easily between the two areas. However, even if the wall could be opened, I think the convention will outgrow the Doubletree in another year or two. Indeed, it may have already outgrown it.

Cleveland Comic Con had a lot of enthusiastic cosplayers. I loved the costumes I saw. However, the cosplayers clogged the hallways of the hotel, especially when they and the fans were trying to enter the room where the costume contest was held. Those hallways could be a fire marshal’s nightmare.

I was pleased with the room where my panels were held. It was good-sized, bright and comfortable. The only problem I had with the set-up was that there were no stairs to the stage. At the start of my career, over four decades ago, I could have leaped on and off that stage with ease. At 63...not so much.

The pluses of the Doubletree was that it had free parking and lots of it. It had what seemed to be a decent in-house restaurant and was within a short walking distance of a couple good restaurants. During the show, there was a food table in the hallway outside the dealers room, and, for convention/hotel food, I thought the prices were reasonable. These pluses aren’t enough to make the Doubletree a suitable location for the future of the convention, but they are all elements which any new venue should have. You don’t want your attendees to have to sweat the small stuff.

The positives of Cleveland Comic Con outweigh my areas of concern.The promoters are smart guys who treated their guests and who put together a solid day of programming. I would happily return to the show next year.

Cleveland is one of the toughest markets for comics conventions in the country. Cleveland Comic Con has a shot at carving out a spot for themselves in that market. I wish them well.
 
I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Thursday, November 13, 2014

DAD

This is my favorite photo of my dad. He bought the motorcycle when he returned from his World War II service in the Army Air Corps. My grandmother hated it. His not-yet-wife and my mother wouldn’t ride on it. So he didn’t keep it long. But I think the picture shows an adventurous nature Dad would suppress as he accepted his roles as husband, father and the guy who kept the Isabella Brothers Bakery going for decades.

As you can tell from the photo, Dad could rock a hat. It was one of his many gifts, but, alas, one I did not inherit. I’m content with having inherited the Isabella Charm, which made him beloved of just about everyone who crossed his path from his family to his bakery customers to the people who cared for him in hospitals and hospice.

Louis A. Isabella passed peaceful in the very wee hours of Tuesday, October 14. He was 89 years old. He was married to my mother for 65 years. With her, he raised five kids while working for the bakery for half a century or so. The past couple of years were very rough on him while he struggled with various ailments.

Today’s blog will not be a recounting of his struggles. When I knew Dad wouldn’t be with us much longer, I knew I would write about him here. I also knew that, instead of mourning his life, I would try to celebrate his life and his role in my life. I mean no disrespect to my siblings, but this blog is between me and Dad.

I visited Dad as often as I could at various hospitals and nursing homes. We talked about stuff. We didn’t agree on a lot of it, but there was mutual respect. I was proud of him. He was proud of me. We didn’t leave anything unsaid before he was unable to communicate and that was a blessing to me. I knew we were good and that made his passing a bit easier for me to handle.

Dad got me better than the other members of my family. He was very supportive of my desire to be a writer. When I was in my teens, he partitioned off a portion of our basement to create an “office” for me and give me the privacy I needed to write. When I would move to New York to work for Marvel Comics, he rented a truck and brought my comic books and other stuff to my Brooklyn apartment.

I brought him to the Marvel offices and introduced him around. He met Stan Lee and they liked each other. That was a special moment for me, being in the same room with the two men who had shaped my life more than any other people in that life.

When I visited Dad in the hospital and rehab center, before he went into hospice, he was usually in good spirits. When he wasn’t, he’d sometimes talk about mistakes he had made in his life. I don’t know if he believed me, but I said most of what he considered mistakes were simply him doing what he had always done throughout his life.More times than I can count or want to recount here, Dad sacrificed his own ambitions and wants to help his children, other members of his family, friends and neighbors. He was a good guy and, in many ways, he taught me what it takes to be a good guy.

I have a great many stories I could tell you about Dad, his life, his final years and more. I’ll share those stories in the fullness of time. But I have to tell you about one special day I shared with Dad and my son Eddie because it will help me explain my father and the kind of man he was.

Dad served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and he loved planes. My son Eddie fell in love with planes around the time that he saw Top Gun on TV. So, when an opportunity arose for me to tour a National Guard airbase, I invited them to join me.

I was being considered for a writing gig for the Air Force. The guy who thought I would be perfect for the project arranged for me and Dad and Eddie to get a tour of that base. The project fell through, but the day was more rewarding than any paycheck could have been.

Eddie was in the third grade. I got permission to take him out of school for the day. Dad, retired since his bakery closed, drove to my house in Medina. We drove to the base in my van.

For me, watching Dad and Eddie on that tour was more fun than the tour itself. I couldn’t tell you which of them had the widest eyes as they got to explore big cargo planes and check out other areas of the base. To this day, I can picture their smiling faces. It’s a memory I hold dear and which comforts me whenever I start missing Dad. Which I do every day.

Sitting with Dad in hospice, during times when I couldn’t be sure if he could hear me, I figured out what that day revealed about him. I shared the revelation with a few others and they all understood what I was saying, even those who hadn’t known my father except at the end of his life.

Dad wanted to fly. He always wanted to fly. What kept him tied to the ground was his commitment to his family, his ongoing sacrifices to our needs. Dad couldn’t fly, but he wanted to make sure his kids could. That’s who Dad was.

Dad got me better than any other member of my family. He knew how much my writing meant to me. Even when he didn’t read the things I wrote, he took joy from seeing my name in the credits. I think he understood that writing was my flying. I hope he realized it was him who gave me my wings.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

GRAND RAPIDS COMIC-CON

The Grand Rapids Comic-Con will be Friday through Sunday, November 21-23, 2014, at the DeltaPlex, 2500 Turner Ave. NW in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Because I am a slave to my passions, I’m a late addition to the guest list. Despite that, the show organizers could not have been more gracious in making my appearance possible.

The passions of which I speak? One of the convention guests is Paul Bales, the co-producer of Sharknado and Sharknado 2: The Second One and the producer of other Isabella favorites like Mega Python Vs Gatoroid, Mega Piranha, and Mega Shark Vs Mecha Shark. The moment I heard Balas was a guest at the show, I wanted to meet him. Maybe if we hit off, I’ll get killed by a shark in Sharknado 3. A man has to dream, doesn’t he?

Other media guests include Alaina Huffman, who I adore in her role as Abbadon, Queen of Hell on the CW’s Supernatural, and the awesome Nichelle Nichols, who, as far as I’m concerned, has been the queen of outer space since she starred in the original Star Trek series.

Comics guests include Arvell Jones, co-creator of Misty Knight from the Iron Fist run we did together in the 1970s, Christopher Jones, William Messner-Loebs, Andrew Pepoy, Ryan Stegman, Chris Yambar,  the legendary Allen Bellman and others. The con is also bringing in a few literary guests and hosting an artist alley that looks packed with some very interesting talents.

Convention programming includes panels, costuming, special events and exhibits and after parties. It’s an impressive line-up with all sorts of fun.

On Sunday from 1:15 to 2:15 pm, I’ll be presenting my TONY’S TIPS LIVE panel. To quote myself:

Tony Isabella brings his long-running Comics Buyer’s Guide and online column to the Grand Rapids Comic Con. The creator of Black Lightning, Misty Knight and Tigra will bring his usual mix of news, reviews and views to the stage. There will be insights and insults. There will be snark and wisdom. There will be blood. Okay, maybe not blood, but things could get dangerous as Tony talks about the secret history of comics and answers audience questions. It’s chilling and thrilling...and you are there!

Because of my being a late addition to the convention, it looks as if I’ll be set up with the media guests. I’ll be bringing a box of my award-deserving and soon-to-be-out-of-print 1000 Comic Books You Must Read. If the publisher follows through on its decision to not to do a third printing - a baffling decision in light of the swell royalty checks I’ve been getting all along - all rights to the book will revert to me.

As always, I’ll be happy to sign any Isabella-written items free of charge. However, I will not sign any DC Comics books or merchandise for which I haven’t been paid. Even in this small way, I do regret disappointing any of my fans and readers. But I feel I must take a stand against DC’s continued disrespect of me and my work and the company’s violations of its agreements with me.  I appreciate your understanding in this matter.

That said...

I’m thrilled to be part of this show. It will be my last convention appearance of the year and I can’t think of a better event to close out 2014. I hope to see many of my bloggy thing readers, Facebook friends and other fans and acquaintances there.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Monday, November 10, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #81

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...Erik Larson's Savage Dragon, Joshua Williamson's Nailbiter and, from NBM/ComicsLit, Beauty.

Friday, November 7, 2014

DOC SAVAGE #77: HAUNTED OCEAN

Recently published by Anthony Tollin’s Sanctum Books, Doc Savage #77: Haunted Ocean & The Spook of Grandpa Eben [$14.95] reprints two novels by Laurence Donovan and Lester Dent (writing as Kenneth Robeson), as well as a new historical essay by the ever-informative Will Murray.

Donovan’s Haunted Ocean was first published in Doc Savage Magazine for June, 1936. Spooky enough to serve this book’s “Halloween” theme, the tale features an eerie villain who calls himself The Man of Peace. From the back cover:

Bizarre disappearance on the sea floor and a strange power blackout result in the President enlisting Doc Savage to investigate the Haunted Ocean.

The cover is by Walter Baumhofer, who painted the first Doc Savage cover and all of the next 42 covers for the magazine. This cover is his last. The interior illustrations are by Paul Orban.

Dent’s The Spook of Grandpa Eben is from the December 1943 issue of Doc Savage Magazine. From the back cover:

Why is a chemical company owned by Doc Savage providing substandard  products to the war effort? Doc, Monk and Ham go ghost hunting to solve the mystery of The Spook of Grandpa Eben.    

Murray’s essay should be of particular interest to comic-book fans. In it, he points similarities between Doc Savage novels written by Donovan and some early Superman stories.

As with other Sanctum Books editions - The Avenger, The Shadow and others - these Doc Savage double novels are entertaining journeys into the heroic fiction of the pulp era.  They’re wonderfully made books and I regularly despair I might never get around to reading all of them.  But what I can and will do is let you know about the new releases as they appear.  More Sanctum Books news is on the way.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Monday, November 3, 2014

THE AKRON COMICON (November 8-9)

The Akron Comicon is my third convention in as many weekends. The event is expanding to two days in this third year of its operation. The convention is on Saturday and Sunday, November 8 and 9 at the University of Akron’s Quaker Station, 135 S. Broadway in Akron, Ohio. The promoters have said they are aiming for their show to be the new Mid-Ohio-Con and I believe they have been making excellent progress towards reaching that loft goal.

The show hours are:

Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday: 11 am to 5 pm

Their guest list is sensational and includes: Darryl Banks, Mike W. Barr, Tom Batiuk, Allen Bellman, Craig Boldman, George Broderick Jr., Gerry Conway, Jose Delbo, Ron Frenz, Daniel Gorman, Mike Gustovich, Dirk Manning, Graham Nolan, Brad Ricca, Joe Rubenstein, Mike Sangiacomo, Thomas Scioli, Chris Sprouse, Joe Staton, Paul Storrie, Marc Sumerak, Chris Yambar, Thom Zahler and others. There will be panels and a costume contest over the weekend.

I’ll be appearing on a Marvel Comics panel scheduled for Sunday at 2 pm.   Also on the panel: Allen Bellman, Gerry Conway, Ron Frenz and Josef Rubenstein.

My table set-up will be somewhat more modest than I hoped because of the major plumbing issues we’ve been dealing with at my house. Our front lawn and part of our downstairs living room, which sits on a slab, will be torn up this week. That said...I’ll be selling my award-deserving 1000 Comic Books You Must Read, those two-sided Superman posters created for 1988’s International Superman Expo and at least one box of older comic books.

As always, I’m happy to sign Isabella-written items free of charge. I’ll sign other items on a case-by-case basis, continuing my policy of not signing comics or other things whose existence represents DC Comics violations of their agreements with me.

I’m also happy to participate in podcasts and speak with publishers and artists who want to work with me. In the new year, I’m going to be implementing some changes vis-a-vis the kind of work I accept. I’ll have more to say about this in a near-future blog.

The blog? It should return to nigh-daily posting later this month, though some features may not return until 2015. I’m doing my best to clear the desk for new opportunities and projects. I have taken many hits this year, but I’m not down for the count by a long shot. Keep watching this bloggy thing.

I hope to see you at the Akron Comicon.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

TONY'S TIPS #80

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...My reviews of Mighty Avengers, Sally Heathcote Suffragette and Shutter by Joe Keatinge and Leila Del Duca.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

OHIO COMIC CON (October 31-November 2)

I will be a guest at Wizard World’s Ohio Comic Con, Friday through Sunday, October 31 to November 2 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 500 North High Street in Columbus, Ohio. The show hours are:

Friday, October 31, 2014 – 3-8 pm
Saturday, November 1, 2014 - 10 am - 7 pm
Sunday, November 2, 2014 - 11 am - 5 pm

Ohio Comic Con has a pretty spiffy guest list. Among the actors, I spotted personal favorites of mine like Emma Caufield, Nicholas Brendon, Karl Urban, Bruce Campbell and Giancarlo Esposito. Comics guests include Barry Kitson, Kevin Maguire, Michael Golden, Danny Fingeroth and Thom Zahler. I’m hoping to get some quality time with these fine folks and others.

Former Marvel Comics editor and comics scholar Danny Fingeroth has put together and is hosting a terrific line-up of comics-oriented panels to edify and entertain the comics fans throughout the three days of the show. I’ll be on three of them:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31:

5:00–5:45 PM
How to Write Comics with Black Lightning’s Tony Isabella, Love and Capes’ Thom Zahler and Spider-Man's Danny Fingeroth (C111)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1:

4:00 – 4:45 PM 1939:
Batman’s Beginning and the Year That Changed Everything (C114)

75 years ago, as fateful events that would lead to the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 were coming together in Europe, the U.S.A. was experiencing, in the same year, an explosion of popular culture. In 1939, Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27; Timely (later Marvel) Comics released Marvel Comics #1, showcasing the first Marvel superheroes, Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch; and Hollywood produced classic films including The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, Stagecoach and the classic animated film, the Fleischer Brothers' Gulliver's Travels. Discussing historical and cultural factors that made that year so important is a panel including Tony Isabella (Black Lightning; Ghost Rider), Danny Fingeroth (Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society; The Stan Lee Universe) and a couple of surprise guests. 

5:00–5:45 PM
From Cap’s Shield to Agents of Shield to Groot! Marvel Comics at 75 with Danny Fingeroth and Tony Isabella (C111)

The Wizard World folks are always exceedingly kind to me and mine. They always arrange for me to have a table in Artists Alley. This year, you’ll find me at Booth B-1.

I always enjoy myself at the show and so do the many thousands of fans who attend it. This year, however, outside of 1000 Comic Books You Must Be and maybe a few Isabella-written comics, I won’t be selling anything to sell at the booth. Instead...

I’ll schedule times when I will be at the table to sign your comics and answer your questions. We’re probably looking at two or three hours on Friday night and four to five hours on Saturday and two or so hours on Sunday. I’ll post the exact times online when I nail them down more and have them posted at my booth as well.

I’ll also make myself available to meet with artists or publishers, to appear on podcasts, etc. If you want to set up times for these, sent me an e-mail and we’ll work it out. Even without any advance appointment, I’ll do my best to accommodate you. But, obviously, I won’t be able to guarantee that.

When I’m not at my table, I’ll be wandering the convention or just relaxing in my hotel room or at the food court. Never be shy about approaching me, but please understand that I might be involved in something private.

I’m looking forward to this convention and I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones there.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

TONY'S TIPS #79

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder: Alex DeCampi's Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight, Godzilla Cataclysm, Simon & Kirby Horror.

Monday, October 20, 2014

CLEVELAND COMIC CON (OCTOBER 26)

My next comics convention appearance will be this one-day event,  Sunday, October 26, 10 am to 7 pm at the Doubletree Cleveland, 6200 Quary Lane, Independence, Ohio. Guests include Paul Kupperberg, Bob Wiacek, Mark Pennington, Budd Root, Darryl Banks, Bill Reinhold, Linda Lessmann Reinhold and me. There will be other comics guests as well and cosplay guest and judge Ninja Shani.

I’ll be sitting next to Kupperberg, a dear friend of four decades.  Paul and I were arguably the funniest and rudest members of our Brooklyn-based group of younger comics professionals back in the 1970s. It’ll be interesting to see if we have retained those gifts.

I’m also looking forward to see Linda, who I worked with back in my Marvel Bullpen days. I’ve seen her and husband Bill at a number of other conventions, but it’s been quite a few years since I had the pleasure of their company.

There will be a “Tony’s Tips Live!” panel at 1 pm. This is like my Comics Buyer’s Guide columns: a little bit of this, a little bit of that, news, views and reviews. I’ll answer your questions about me and my work and anything else that interests you.

I’ll be appearing on a second panel as well, the format of which is not yet settled. It’s scheduled for 4 pm.

Before, between and after the panels, I’ll be at my table. Except when I’m visiting with other guests.

I don’t know what I’ll bring to sell at the convention. My best guess: copies of my award-deserving 1000 Comic Books You Must Read, a box of Isabella-written comics and stuff, a box of the rare two-sided Superman posters made for the 1988 International Superman  Exposition held in Cleveland and maybe a box of older comics from my garage sale.

As always, and this applies to all my convention appearances, I’m happy to sign anything I’ve written at no charge. I’m also happy to sign Black Lightning merchandise for which DC Comics has paid me my contracted percentage. Unfortunately, DC hasn’t paid me for most of what’s been done with my creation.

Since I’m being a bit of dick here, I also won’t sign any DC Comics history books. Because the writers lie a lot in them and sometimes the lies involve me or things I worked on.

Wow, that took a dark turn.

Don’t worry. I am an incredibly friendly guy and you’ll have a ball meeting me and talking with me...and I expect to have just as much fun meeting and talking with you.

For more information, visit the convention home page.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

TONY'S TIPS #78

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...Cops and super-heroes in Powers: The Bureau, New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics, and Masterful Marks: Cartoonists Who Changed the World!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #77

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...More Original Sin commentary and reviews.

R.I.P. Louis A. Isabella

RIP Louis A. Isabella (March 16, 1925 - October 14, 2014). Dad passed peacefully Tuesday morning at around 1:30 am. My thanks to the Holy Family Home hospice for their loving care of my father and the comfort they brought to my family. My thanks to all of you who kept us in your thoughts and prayers. Many things to attend to right now, but I'll have more to say later.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #76

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...I review the Original Sin series from Marvel Comics. Check it out.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

My dad's health has taken several turns for the worse in recent weeks. He is now in a hospice facility. I will be mostly unavailable for the next several days. I thank you in advance for your supportive comments and for your understanding that I will not be able to respond to anyone for those next several days.

Tony Isabella

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

TONY GOES TO CONVENTIONS

The only convention I attended in the first nine months of 2014 was PulpFest 2014 in August and that wasn’t even a “working” convention for me. Held in Columbus, it was the annual pulp magazine event I attend to see friends like Anthony Tollin, Ron Fortier, Rob Davis and others.

Up until about a week ago, I was only planning to attend two comics conventions this year. As of right now, that number has gone up to four and possibly five.  Here’s the list, starting with the one Ican’t list as a definite.

Sunday, October 5:

CHRIS YAMBAR’S LAWN-CON 5:

My pal Chris’ free comic-book show will be held at the B&O Station, 530 Mahoning Avenue in Youngstown, Ohio from 12-6 pm. I wrote about the event here.

I’m not setting up at the event. I’m just hoping to go there to see old friends and check out the work of artists new to me.  However, whether or not I can take the day off to drive to Youngstown will depend on what’s happening with the water link I told you about in Sunday’s bloggy thing and how far along I am with the moving of stuff in and to my Fortress of Storage units.

CLEVELAND COMIC CON:

This one-day show will take place on Sunday October 26, 10 am-7 pm at the Doubletree Cleveland, 6200 Quary Lane, Independence, Ohio. Guests include Paul Kupperberg, Bob Wiacek, Mark Pennington, Budd Root, Darryl Banks, Bill Reinhold, Linda Lessmann Reinhold and, as of a few days ago, me. There will also be other comics guests and cosplay guest and judge Ninja Shani.

I almost never hear about or am invited to Cleveland conventions, despite how close I live to Cleveland and what a potentially cheap guest I could be. In this case, the first inkling I had about the event was when Kupperberg, a dear friend of four decades, e-mailed me to ask if we could get together while he was in the area.  So I contacted the convention and told them they could get me as a guest if they put me next to my old friend. Paul and I were arguably the funniest and rudest members of our Brooklyn-based group of younger comics professionals back in the 1970s. It’ll be interesting to see if we still have those gifts.

I’m also looking forward to see Linda, who I worked with back in my Marvel Bullpen days. I’ve seen her and husband Bill at a number of other conventions, but it’s been quite a few years since I had the pleasure of their company.

I know Cleveland Comic Con is planning a costume contest and some panels, but I don’t know what the panels will be or if I’ll be on any of them. If I find out before the convention, I’ll update you here in the bloggy thing.

I also don’t know what I’ll be bringing to sell at the convention. My best guess: copies of my award-deserving 1000 Comic Books You Must Read, a box of Isabella-written comics and stuff, a box of the rare two-sided Superman poster made for the International Superman  Exposition held in 1988 in Cleveland and maybe a box of the older comics from my garage sale.

As always, and this applies to all my convention appearances, I’m happy to sign anything I’ve written at no charge. I’m also happy to sign Black Lightning merchandise for which DC Comics has paid me my contracted percentage. Unfortunately, DC hasn’t paid me for most of what’s been done with my creation.

Since I’m being a bit of dick here, I also won’t sign any DC Comics history books. Because the writers of those histories lie a lot in them and sometimes the lies involve me or things I worked on.

Wow, that took a dark turn.

Don’t worry. I am an incredibly friendly guy and you’ll have a ball meeting me and talking with me...and I expect to have just as much fun meeting and talking with you.

WIZARD WORLD OHIO COMIC CON 2014:

This convention will take place Friday through Sunday, October 31 to November 2 at Greater Columbus Convention Center, 500 North High Street in Columbus, Ohio. The show hours are:

Friday, October 31, 2014 – 3-8 pm
Saturday, November 1, 2014 - 10 am - 7 pm
Sunday, November 2, 2014 - 11 am - 5 pm

I generally leap at any excuse I can find to visit Columbus. It’s a great city, home of many memorable Mid-Ohio-Con events back when Roger Price was showing everyone else how to do it. I worked crazy long hours helping Roger with those shows and it was time very well spent. Then, too, for several years, one or both of my great kids were attending The Ohio State University. More reason to make the two-hour drive to Columbus from Medina.

Wizard World Ohio has a pretty cool guest list. Among the actors, I spotted personal favorites of mine like Emma Caufield, Nicholas Brendon, Karl Urban, Bruce Campbell and Giancarlo Esposito. Comics guests include Barry Kitson, Kevin Maguire, Michael Golden, Danny Fingeroth and Thom Zahler. I’m hoping to get some quality time with these fine folks and others.

Wizard World Ohio is a terrific show on many levels, but it’s not really a show that has a place for a so-called “comics legend” like myself. The folks who run the show are always exceedingly kind to me and mind. They always arrange for me to have a table in Artists Alley. But I don’t fit into their programming schedule and I often feel like I’m swimming in the wrong pond.

But I always enjoy myself at the show and so do the many thousands of fans who attend it. I’ll be there this year with my usual table in Artist Alley. This year, however, I won’t be bringing anything to sell at the table. Instead...

I’ll schedule times when I will be at the table to sign your comics and answer your questions. We’re probably looking at two or three hours on Friday night and four to five hours on Saturday and two or so hours on Sunday. I’ll post the exact times online when I nail them down more and have them posted at my table as well.

I’ll also make myself available to meet with artists or publishers, to appear on podcasts, etc. If you want to set up times for these, sent me an e-mail and we’ll work it out. Even without any advance appointment, I’ll do my best to accommodate you. But, obviously, I won’t be able to guarantee that.

When I’m not at my table, I’ll be wandering the convention or just relaxing in my hotel room or at the food court. Never be shy about approaching me, but please understand that I might be involved in something private.

AKRON COMIC-CON:

The Akron Comic-Con is expanding to two days in this third year of its operation. The convention takes place on Saturday and Sunday, November 8 and 9 at the University of Akron’s Quaker Station, 135 S. Broadway in Akron, Ohio. The promoters want this show to be the new Mid-Ohio-Con and are making excellent progress towards reaching that loft goal.

The show hours are:

Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday: 11 am to 5 pm

Their guest list is sensational and includes: Darryl Banks, Mike W. Barr, Tom Batiuk, Allen Bellman, Craig Boldman, George Broderick Jr., Gerry Conway, Jose Delbo, Ron Frenz, Daniel Gorman, Mike Gustovich, Dirk Manning, Graham Nolan, Brad Ricca, Joe Rubenstein, Mike Sangiacomo, Thomas Scioli, Chris Sprouse, Joe Staton, Paul Storrie, Marc Sumerak, Chris Yambar, Thom Zahler and others. There will be panels and a costume contest over the weekend.

My table set-up will be pretty much the same as it is the Cleveland Comic Con. I’ll be there both days of the event.

GRAND RAPIDS COMIC-CON:

The Grand Rapids Comic-Con will be Friday through Sunday, November 21-23, 2014, at the DeltaPlex, 2500 Turner Ave. NW in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Because I am a slave to my passions, I’m a late addition to the guest list. Despite that, the convention organizes could not have been more gracious in making my appearance possible.

The passions of which I speak? One of the convention guests is Paul Balas, the co-producer Sharknado and Sharknado 2: The Second One and the producer of other Isabella favorites like Mega Python Vs Gatoroid, Mega Piranha, and Mega Shark Vs Mecha Shark. The moment I heard Balas was a guest at the show, I wanted to meet him. Maybe if we hit off, I’ll get killed by a shark in Sharknado 3. A man has to dream, doesn’t he?

Other media guests include Alaina Huffman, who I adore in her role as Abbadon, Queen of Hell on the CW’s Supernatural, and the awesome Nichelle Nichols, who, as far as I’m concerned, has been the queen of outer space since she starred in the original Star Trek series. Comics guests include Arvell Jones, the co-creator of my Misty Knight character from the Iron Fist comics we did together in the 1970s, Christopher Jones, Andrew Pepoy, Ryan Stegman and others. The convention is also bringing in a few literary guests and hosted an artist alley that looks to be packed with some very interesting talents.

Convention programming includes panels, costuming, special events and exhibits and after parties. It’s an impressive line-up with all sorts of fun.

Because of my being a late addition to the convention, it looks as if I’ll be set up with the media guests. I’ll probably bring a box of 1000 Comic Books You Must Read and a box of some other Isabella-written stuff. I’m thrilled to be part of this show.

Four (maybe five conventions) in seven weeks is more than I’ve ever done before. I hope to see you at some of them.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Monday, September 29, 2014

TONY'S TIPS #75

This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...Marvel Rarities Volume One with Doctors Doom and Druid, the Watcher and more...Michael Cho's Shoplifter...and, from Japan, Ikigami The Ultimate Limit!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

SHOW ME THE GARAGE SALE MONEY CAT

Throughout last evening and when I woke this morning, my body felt like the patient in the Operation game who has the worst doctors in the universe. But this was the good kind of pain, following all the work I put into my last Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales of the year. I was thrilled by the results.

My customers were happy with the great selection and great prices at the garage sales. I autographed a couple dozen Isabella-written comics and books over the two days of the sale. I sold 14 of the 16 mystery boxes I had put together for the sale. Facebook friend Rick Blair was so excited by the mystery box he bought that he posted photos of its contents on Facebook.

From a purely financial standpoint, I achieved 152% of my goal for the weekend.  Of course, there’s no putting a dollar value on how much fun I had chatting with the customers. Afterwards, I told my Sainted Wife Barb that these garage sales were like the best part of the Cosmic Comics store I owned and operated back in the 1970s and 1980s. I got to make money while making comics fans happy and
I didn’t have to worry about any of the negative stuff that clouded my enjoyment of my old store.

Starting today or tomorrow, I’ll start packing up the garage sale for storage. Then I will commence this month’s master plan for the Fortress of Storage and Casa Isabella. I’ll probably write about my progress as that goes forward.

Casa Isabella and yours truly will be facing some challenges over the next few months. There is a water pipe leak in a pipe running to and through part of our foundation. We might be looking at close to ten grand in repair costs. I’m not sure how we’re going to pay for that and for the dental work I so desperately need done, but we will figure out something. We always do.

I’m doing four conventions this fall, but that’s a subject for my next bloggy thing. Coming up in October, as I return to full-scale blogging again, I’ll be commenting on the settlement between Marvel Comics and the Jack Kirby family...on the changing nature of comics conventions...on the role (if any) an old warhorse like me can play in the comics industry of today. Some of these pieces are already in various stages of completion. Others are notes on fragments of paper in a folder. I’m also taking requests.

You’ll definitely be seeing the return of my “July 1963" series and the popular “Rawhide Kid Wednesday” feature. You’ll be seeing more reviews of comics, books, TV shows and cheesy monster movies. You will see some political commentary, but probably not a lot of that. You might see some tidbits from my comics career. Writing my bloggy things brings me joy and I hope you feel something akin to that as you read them.

That’s all for today. I’ll be back soon with more stuff

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Saturday, September 27, 2014

GARAGE SALE HAPPY CAT

My last Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sale of 2014 concludes today, Saturday, September 27, at the Isabella family garage at 840 Damon Drive in Medina, Ohio. The hours of the sale are as follows:

Saturday, September 27: 9 am to noon
Saturday, September 27: 5-7 pm

Yesterday’s garage sale was a tremendous success. Happy customers bought huge piles of comic books, paperbacks and other items. The brisk sales allowed me to achieve 89% of my financial goals for the entire weekend in just that first day.

I didn’t sell either the vintage, unopened jar of Superman peanut butter or the equally vintage, slightly compromised Quik cocoa box.However, a postal worker tells me the post office wouldn’t consider either of the items to be hazardous. So, if they don’t sell today, they will quite possibly show up in one of my near-future online Vast Accumulation of Stuff sales. I hope to resume the online sales as early as next Friday, October 3.

What amazes me as much as the vast quantity of comics and stuff I sold on Friday is how many great items are still available for the final day of the garage sale.  When I did some minimal restocking yesterday afternoon, I added another two hundred or so comic books, magazines, trade paperbacks, etc.

I started Friday with twelve of my famous mystery boxes...and sold eight of them. Because I’m more than a little crazy, I put together four new mystery boxes for today’s sale.

I am looking forward to today’s sale with a mixture of excitement and sadness. Excitement because the summer’s garage sales have been so successful. Sadness because it’s the last one of the year and I will miss seeing my regular customers.

That’s all for now. Look for a garage sale wrap-up report sometimes tomorrow.

Look for a return to full-size bloggy things on Wednesday, October 1. I have a lot to write about in the coming weeks, but feel free to send me your requests as well.

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Friday, September 26, 2014

GARAGE SALES ARE GO!

My last Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales of 2014 start today and continue tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, September 26 and 27, at the Isabella family garage at 840 Damon Drive in Medina, Ohio. The hours of the sale are as follows:

Friday, September 26: 9 am to noon
Saturday, September 27: 9 am to noon
Saturday, September 27: 5-7 pm

I spent nearly all day yesterday organizing the existing comics and other boxes and then restocking them from the two dozen or so boxes of stuff that I brought from my storage units at the secret Fortress of Storage earlier in the week.

When I took breaks from working, I posted garage sale notes on my Facebook page. Like this one:

I just realized last night that, because of the neighborhood garage sale, I can't restock with my garage door open. I'd lose too much time telling people that *my* sale doesn't start until tomorrow. This is a bummer.

Even I can't believe the great stuff I'm putting into the quarter boxes.

I did finally open my garage door in the late afternoon when the heat inside become too much for my aged and withered form.  I did have to turn away a few people who wanted to come in and see what I had, but they were cool about it.

I really went crazy on the quarter comics boxes. There are insane bargains to be found in them. Lots of them. I put so many comics in the boxes that I’ll only be able to do the most minimal of quarter comics restocking on Friday night.

I also posted this on Facebook about four hours later:

If you're coming to my garage sale, you should probably stop at your bank first and get all your money. You'll need it.

I have completed the restocking to such an extent I probably won't be able to restock the comics on Friday night. I will probably be able to do some good restocking on the hardcovers and trade paperbacks. Assuming I have the energy. Because I'm exhausted right now.

Finally, four more hours later, I posted this:

I hurt from my head to me toes. But it's the good kind of hurt.

Between the time I’m writing this on Thursday evening and today’s garage sale opening, I have a handful of tasks to complete. Nothing major. Make some signs. Sweep the garage a bit. Put a few more copies of 1000 Comic Books You Must Read out for sale. Move my van to my neighbor’s driveway so as to not block the view of the sale from the street. Bring out the cash box, the calculator and some pads of paper. Make sure I have a cold Pepsi or water bottle. All told, these tasks should take a hour and a half tops. With a little luck, I’ll have gotten a good night’s sleep.

See you at the garage sale!

© 2014 Tony Isabella

Thursday, September 25, 2014

SWELL INTERVIEW WITH ME

TONY IS TALKING ALERT!

Jim Palmquist of Nerdlocker did one of the swellest interviews with me that has ever been done. You should check it out here.

GARAGE SALE COUNTDOWN: ONE DAY AND COUNTING

My last Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales of 2014 happen this weekend, Friday and Saturday, September 26 and 27, at the Isabellafamily garage at 840 Damon Drive in Medina, Ohio. The hours of the sale are as follows:

Friday, September 26: 9 am to noon
Saturday, September 27: 9 am to noon
Saturday, September 27: 5-7 pm

In addition to my VAOS garage sale, several families in my general vicinity are holding a neighborhood garage sale. The sale started Wednesday night and will continue on Thursday and Friday. I don’t have the exact times, but, after you hit my garage sale on Friday,you might want to wander around the nearby streets a bit and see if anything else catches your eye.

Yesterday, I put together a dozen mystery boxes for this weekend’s garage sale. These mystery boxes cost a mere five dollars each and are packed with stuff from my previous garage sales. My customers love these and I expect all twelve boxes will seel before I close the garage door on the last garage sale of 2014.

Today is my major restocking day: quarter comic books, paperbacks, magazines, trade paperbacks and hardcovers. The paperbacks and the magazines are also a quarter each. The trade paperbacks are $2 and the hardcovers are $5.

I did some further research on the Superman peanut butter and the Superman cocoa tin. My pal Tim Stroup also did some research for me on how dangerous/toxic they might be. It looks like the two items are fairly harmless. So, while I will have a sign warning buyers against actually using these products, I’m not going to have those buyers sign a release.

I should also thank the anonymous troll who tried to post a comment to this blog in which he claimed my concern over not poisoning my customers was indicative of the “godless liberal socialist nanny state” our Kenyan president and his same-sex wife wanted to make of our nation. His note was like a five-hour energy shot of bigotry and ignorance. Oh, right-wing fanatics, how you amuse me day after day. Almost as much as you terrify me.

However...I have and will continue to turn down offers to buy these items from sellers who want me to mail said items to them. That’s just not gonna happen. “Fairly harmless” doesn’t translate to “no chance of these things stinking up the post office if they should break or open in transit. Sorry.

After the major restocking is done, I’ll see if I have time to addmore expensive comic books and Isabella-written items to the sale.Or price and add other cool items to the sale. Or maybe even throw together a few more mystery boxes.

I will have copies of my award-deserving 1000 Comic Books You Must Read on sale at $20 each. As always, I’m happy to sign those copies or any other Isabella-written items free of charge.

I’ll also have a selection of rare two-sided Superman posters and other rare Superman posters on sale at $10 each. Once I resume my online sale, those two-sided Superman posters (shown above) will be available for mail-order sales. You’ll find the details in a near-future bloggy thing.

Depending on how well Friday’s sale goes, I do plan on restocking for Saturday’s sale. I’ll have another brief update for you on the morrow and also on Saturday morning.

See you at the garage sale!

© 2014 Tony Isabella